Freediving is the sport of diving on one breath. It is the most natural thing in the world. We can all freedive, but most of us don’t realise it! Whether it is extended snorkelling, competitive or recreational freediving, underwater photography, spearfishing, underwater hockey, synchronised swimming, or holding your breath in the bath, freediving requires the same things; good breathhold, excellent mental control – and most importantly a buddy for safety!

The sport grew from the ancient traditions of pearl and sponge fishing. The sport dates back beyond history and humans have long known that the body can survive longer underwater than the medical profession would have us believe. It is this confounding of science that makes freediving such a fascinating sport. Not only that, it is perhaps the most beautiful form of movement the human body can perform – weightless, we are free to move in three dimensions as nowhere else.

The transition of man into underwater mammal during a freedive hints at our roots in the animal kingdom. The mammalian dive reflex makes it possible for us to dive to depths thought potentially fatal for the human body – and much, much deeper – and survive! But it requires training and immense mental discipline to be able to take the body to places where both science, and if we face it, our own rational thinking, tell us it is impossible to go. Freediving is about discovery, of our potential, of our self.